


Ashes to Ashes

by MalSpinningYarns



Category: Silicon Valley (TV)
Genre: Cancer, Death, Grief/Mourning, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-27
Updated: 2016-03-27
Packaged: 2018-05-29 09:18:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6368980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MalSpinningYarns/pseuds/MalSpinningYarns
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Pied Piper gang fulfill Jared's last wish.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ashes to Ashes

**Author's Note:**

> So this idea suddenly came to me. I have no idea why, but it did. I had to write it or I would continue to be sad. I think this is my first time writing a fully sad fic. I cried while writing this. 
> 
> I'm so sorry.

Richard looked around the small group. Big Head was standing next to him and refused to meet anyone’s eyes. Richard was honestly surprised that he agreed to come. Monica held Erlich’s arm in a vice grip while she cried on his shoulder while he looked out stoically. Dinesh was sobbing into his hands while Gilfoyle rubbed his shoulders and was holding back his own tears. Carla was shifting from side to side with her hands in her coat pockets.

 

“Is everybody ready?” Richard whispered. He received various forms of confirmation. “Ok then,” he gulped while opening the urn.

 

The group was assembled in Jared’s favorite bird watching park to fulfill his final wishes. If Jared wanted his final resting place to be here, then so be it.

 

When Jared first told them he was sick- acute lymphocytic leukemia caught way too late to have a good chance of surviving- they all responded differently. Erlich tore up the Hacker Hostel’s living room and then disappeared. When he came back five days later with no explanation as to where he went, he was more or less back to normal. Gilfoyle broke down, showing more emotion than anyone had seen in him in a long time. Dinesh locked himself in his room for a day. Monica cried for a bit, but then did everything in her power to keep everyone running. Richard tried to act like everything was normal, but refused to leave his boyfriend’s side for more than he had to. They had just started dating and now Jared was being taken away from him. It was unfair.

 

In the few months they had together, Richard tried to make everything count: every kiss, every movie, every smile. When he was alone, he sobbed into a pillow. He didn’t want Jared to feel even worse than he already did.

 

By the time Jared was permanently hospitalized, the group was operating on a shift system. When Richard spent too much time there, someone would take him home and made sure he ate, showered, and did some work while someone else would keep vigil at Jared’s side. They all promised to call Richard immediately is something went south. The old ladies in Jared’s birding group kept them all fed by dropping hot meals by the hospital or the house. In the meantime, they all tried to get final wishes out of Jared. Gifoyle and Dinesh split a list of former favorite foster parents, foster siblings, Vassar friends, and old coworkers to track them all down. It took several days and some questionably legal methods, but emails were sent out to everyone that was still alive.

 

When Jared took his final breath, Richard was right by his side as promised.

 

If Jared saw how many people attended his memorial service, he would have cried. Even Richard was surprised by the turn out. Almost everyone Gilfoyle and Dinesh contacted showed up in addition to all of Pied Piper and Raviga staff, what felt like a good quarter of all Hooli employees, a good chunk of Silicon Valley types, and Jared’s birding group. Gavin Belson gave Richard probably the most awkward hug of his life. Russ was a close second though.

 

Instead of any public burial, Jared asked a small group to spread his ashes around in his favorite park. So here they were.

 

“I feel like someone should say something,” Richard said.  

 

Carla awkwardly raised her hand. “I can go first,” she offered. Richard shuffled over and handed her the urn. “Ok,” she sighed, “OJ, you’re a really cool dude and a really good sport when we messed with you and I will miss you.” She sprinkled some of the ashes on the grass.

 

Big Head went next. “Wow, this is heavier than I thought,” he commented when Carla handed him the urn. “Even if you were kind of responsible for me being fired from Pied Piper, I totally don’t blame you. I kind of suck. But you made my best friend very happy, so, um, rest in peace, dude.”

 

Erlich took the urn from Big Head. His hands shook a little and his eyes were starting to water. “Jared, you once tried to tell me that us almost burning the house down to just to run a stream of some poor fucker about to drink his own piss for a bunch of Filipinos was ‘magical’ and I thought you were an idiot. But you were right. _You were right_ ,” he choked out at the end. After sprinkling his ashes, he handed the urn to Monica.

 

“What can I say?” she sniffed out, “You were an amazing businessman and believed in Pied Piper more than anyone else I ever knew. But you were also a sweet and caring guy and put everyone’s needs before your own. I’ll miss you so much.”

 

Dinesh wiped away his tears and took the urn from Monica after she finished spreading her ashes. “Um, I don’t know what to say, but um I never thanked you for your corporate resources, but they were actually really helpful. And I’m sorry for making fun of you so much.” Then, he stuttered through something in Urdu while flicking out some ashes and quickly passed the urn to Gilfoyle.

 

“You were a weirdo, but you were our weirdo,” he stated, shook out some ashes, and handed the urn back to Richard.

 

Richard looked out to the group at a loss for words. Tears were blurring his vision and his throat was closing up. “Jared, I had no idea what you would end up meaning to me when I first met you. You were one of the first people to actually believe in me and what I was doing and I can’t thank you enough for that. I have no idea what I’ll do without you,” he let a sob out. He felt someone touch his shoulder, but he didn’t look to see who it was. “I love you so much and I should have gotten together with you earlier. I should have married you. We should have had a family together even if that idea terrifies me. But instead, you are gone. _God, it’s so unfair_. But I hope wherever you are, you are happy and reunited with your mom. Please don’t forget about me up there. I know you want me to live my life, but I won’t forget about you. I can’t. I love you.” He spread the rest of the ashes out and crumpled on the ground. He was drowning in his tears. Someone gently took the urn out of his hands while someone else rubbed their hands over his arms. Monica seemed to be muttering reassurances in his ears, but he couldn’t hear her over his own sobs.

 

“Hey,” someone said. Richard looked up. Jared was kneeling in front of him. But it wasn’t Jared- he looked too healthy. And hazy. He must be imagining things. “Jared” took his face in his hands. He didn’t feel like anything, but Richard wished it did. He missed feeling Jared take his hands. “Richard, you can get through this. You _will_ do great things. I promise. Thank you for taking care of me. For loving me when few have. I’ll see you again soon. I love you.” The ghost pressed his lips on Richard’s forehead. Richard swore he actually felt it. Then Jared disappeared.

 

Richard eventually got his breathing under control. He looked to both his sides. Monica was on his left, Erlich on his right. Carla was holding the now-empty urn. Gilfoyle and Big Head offered him hands. He grabbed them and the two hoisted him up. “Are you OK?” Dinesh asked. Richard blew his nose on his jacket sleeve. “As much as I could be, given the situation,” he croaked. “Are you ready to go?” Monica asked. Richard nodded, but asked to be given a minute. Erlich patted him on the shoulder while leading everyone else back to the cars.

 

Richard looked around. It really was beautiful: green with lots of trees and plants. Quiet. Serene. He could see why Jared loved it so much. A little bird gave a chirp on a tree next to him. He took a deep breath of fresh air.

 

“Bye Jared,” he whispered. A small gust of wind burst past him, ruffling his hair. He took it as a sign.

 

He’ll get through this.


End file.
